Top Spin (2014) User Reviews

Well Presented Documentary

[larrys3 · 8/10 · 27 December 2015]

This well presented documentary, directed by Sara Newens and Mina T. Son, focuses mainly on 3 American teen table tennis phenoms, namely Ariel Hsing, Lily Zhang, and Michael Landers. The film follows them as they arduously and relentlessly train, with the hopes of making the U.S. Olympic Team, heading to London in 2012.

We'll follow the 3 teens as they continually practice through training or tournaments, to try and achieve the agility, dexterity, and athleticism required to be a world class table tennis player. At the same time, they are trying to juggle their schoolwork and upcoming college entrance applications, while also trying to have some kind of a social life amidst it all. They'll be interviews with them, as well as their parents, coaches, and friends along the way.

All in all, this well paced documentary kept my interest throughout, and I found it all quite interesting and informative as well.

Absolutely fascinating look at young Americans trying to compete at the world class level in Table Tennis.

[TxMike · 29 June 2016]

I found this documentary on Netflix streaming. While I have played "ping pong" when I was younger I was never a "Table Tennis" player in the sense that these teenagers are.

It focuses on three young Americans, Ariel Hsing from California, who started playing at age 7 and was 16 when this film was made. Lily Zhang, also from California, also 7 when she started and 16 when this film was made. What they also have in common is each has parents, immigrants from China, who were Table Tennis players. This doesn't so much give them a physical advantage but more a mental advantage, the focus and dedication to train hard and continuously, to try to become the best.

The third is Michael Landers, an ordinary kid from New York who didn't have parents to motivate him, he just had an extremely acute internal motivation and became a Table Tennis prodigy at a young age and became national singles champion at the age of 15.

The focus of the story is preparation for the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Each of the three was attempting to gain a spot on the team. We see ample competition footage but even more interesting are the "behind the scenes" footage of the three and their families and friends, and the rigors of their training.

Of note each of these teenagers were also dedicated students. They found it hard at times to balance school, activities, and training but each seems to have done that well.

Excellent documentary, every minute is interesting. By way of update to 2016, Ariel in 2014 became the first American-born player to sign a contract with the China Table Tennis Super League. Lily in 2014 graduated from high school and enrolled at UCal, Berkeley, and in fact made the 2016 USA Olympic team. Michael has enrolled in Business school in New York, still plays high level competitive Table Tennis and hopes to qualify for the Olympics one day.